Dance, water, dance!
by Axira
Summary: Read the story of the confused, sitar playing bad guy we all know and love. From his 'death', to his enrollment, all the way to his love for the Superior's little sister: NOT Xemnasa. Rated T for language. DemyxxOC, slight RoxasNamine in parts. ON HIATUS.
1. Myde

**Welcome, one and all, to my first work on FanFiction, about my absolutely favourite Organization member. Before people start nit-picking, saying 'This doesn't happen in the game!' and crap, I want to say this happens in my own little Kindom Hearts universe. Please, read everything on the page, even the little notes at the bottom I put as a desperte plea for attention. Now, if you will, carry on...**

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Myde stared out over his home, the Destiny Islands. People always told him he should be grateful he lived in such a wonderful place, but he failed to see what was so special about it. Kids were laughing and playing, teenagers were being… well, teenagerish, and adults nattering away. Just like every other day. He sighed. Everything was so boring nowadays.

"Is a little excitement too much to ask for?" he asked himself. He smoothed back his oak brown hair, spiking it up slightly at the back. He grabbed his music player, put in the headphones, picked up his bag, and made for downstairs.

Myde couldn't exactly be called a normal teenager. He didn't fit into a particular group. He didn't get grades good enough to hang out with the nerds, but they were too good for him to fit in with the bullies. He was too well raised for the slobs, but too cool for the snobs. So, he usually went to the beach, to his favourite spot, a haven for a sixteen year old such as himself, along with his best friend: his music. He couldn't understand why nobody else shared his love of music. It always had a sympathetic ear to lend him, or could calm him down better than his mom when he was angry. He conceived, wrote and sang his own music, with his pure, angelic voice. And so, almost every day, he would wander down to the beach, nestle himself between two palm trees, grab a pad and pen, and compose brilliant songs, for his ears only.

He passed through the kitchen to reach the back door. Unfortunately, he was too slow to avoid his mom.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?" She snapped at him, annoyed.

"Out," he mumbled back, his thoughts elsewhere.

"Excuse me?"

"Out!" he screamed, too annoyed for words, "God, mom, piss off and go baby Aria for a bit! For all you know she could be sticking her fingers in a socket right now! Jesus…" and he stormed out, leaving shouts of, "Watch your language with me!" behind.

'Why does everyone pick on me?' he thought to himself, cranking the volume up to full and adding a bit of harmony to the chorus of his favorite song. Surely his mom had to pay more attention to Aria, his younger sister, than to him. As he reached his spot, he threw himself onto the trees, making leaves float down around his head. He blew them away with a single movement of his lips, drew out his weapon; the mighty ballpoint pen, with his valiant shield of paper, and attempted to finish off his latest work. The seagulls were crying out overhead, the ocean was gently lapping over the golden sand, and there wasn't another soul for miles around. For Myde, everything was right with the worlds.

He didn't realize he had been there for so long. When he looked up from his paper, only a slither of sun was visible between sea and black, inky sky. No lights were visible in the city.

"Might as well head home then," he breathed to himself. He reluctantly pried himself off the trees, stuffed his things in his bag, and strolled off, quietly humming the bridge of his completed masterpiece.

The streetlights were just flickering into existence. Shadows were overtaking the sidewalks, and Myde wasn't even halfway home. His black tee shirt was blending in with his surroundings, and his pale green shorts were fading against the vast expanses of black. And yet, he didn't feel completely safe. What was it his mom had said to him?

"Be sure to get home before dark. The Neoshadows come out at night, and there's no telling what the could do." Pffff. Yeah, right. Like some lousy black creature was going to creep up on him without him noticing.

Suddenly, he froze in his tracks. The air around him had become chilly. The streetlights suddenly flickered. His watery blue eyes just stood out amidst the black plains that were constantly expanding around him. He felt something hot against the back of his neck, and span around on one foot. Three pairs of neon yellow eyes were staring out at him. Neoshadows.

He ran as fast as he could, but the creatures were fast. He tried to lose them by going round corners, but they just jumped over walls, forever closing the gap. Myde was fast running out of breath, but he just kept going. He looked over his shoulder as he ran, trying to get just five seconds difference between him and the black forms. He was too preoccupied with getting away, however, and he failed to see the solid brick wall.

Stars were spinning round his head, and his mind was disorientated. He was soon seeing straight, but it was too late. The creatures had him pinned in, with no chance of escape. He didn't care what they did. He just wanted it to be over quickly. The Neoshadows were standing over him, thin threads of blood coloured drool coming out of their non-existent jaws.

'_Mom. Aria._' He'd never see them again. He hoped they were okay. He could feel cold fingers pressing against his chest.

It was over quick enough. Myde… was gone.

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Well, that's the first instalment of a series of many. I have lots in plan for him, so there will never be a dull moment, I hope. Read & Review, as I love feedback. Yes, Demyx is going to fall in 'love', but to who exactly, I'm going to keep to my empty chest. Two hints: it is a made up character, and it is a girl. Demyx is **NOT GAY**. **IF ANYONE SAYS HE IS, I WILL STAB THEM WITH A PENCIL**. **A VERY SHARP PENCIL**. **AND IT WILL HURT**. Keep reading, please! 

Axira.


	2. Discovery

The sun was blazing away in typical midday fashion as the sense of feeling flooded through him like a tidal wave. He was blinded as his eyes started to flicker open, and lifted an arm to shade himself from the unforgiving rays.

'Wait a second,' he thought in disbelief, 'is that my arm?' He stared at it perplexed for what seemed an eternity. It was paler than usual, and just seemed… different. "It is my arm, right?" he asked himself. As he sat there, performing various test to see if it was indeed his own limb, most of which included himself hitting the arm in question with whatever he could find lying beside him. Actually, that brought up a point. "Where exactly am I?" He looked around. Vast expanses of road led out either side of a massive field, with sweet little birds twittering away like little cupids, spreading love with their songs of happiness and joy. He followed along the beaten track, hoping to reach a town, a city, any civilisation.

"Demyx." A wavering voice whispered past, like church bells on the wind. He turned, expecting to see someone. Instead, a group of Rabid Dogs swarmed past, angry bees running to sting. He had an urge to run; they would surely take his heart. But they just passed, paying him no interest whatsoever. He looked at them questioningly as they got stuck in a hedge, and continued along the path, wondering what the heck the word 'Demyx' had to do with anything.

He stopped and craned his neck upwards. The Station Tower loomed over him, a hawk over its prey. He still didn't know where he was, but at least there were others here. Kids in school uniform ran around happily, playing games and telling stories. A flame seemed to flicker into existence in the pit of his stomach, jealousy forming in his already confused mind. Nobody noticed him, but he preferred it that way; until he figured out this mystery, he'd be fine being non-existent to everyone else. He wandered further into the town, pleading silently for a mirror, or a piece of glass, just to know what he looked like. He wanted to know who he was. There was nothing in his mind, nothing to tell him what had happened. His memories had gone, along with his sense of self.

"Finally," he breathed, "a proper town center." It was busier here; people haggling with shopkeepers, even more school kids, and what seemed to be a fight was happening down a back alley. He wandered over to a shop window, and, for the first time, saw his own reflection. And boy, did it scare the crap out of him.

The first thing that stood out was his skin; it was so pale, you could already see evidence of the sun standing out across the plains of almost pure white. His eyes were a sharp, focused dark blue, threatening, but still friendly. He stared amazed at his hair: he had actually pulled off a style mullet! Sandy brown, with hints of oak, made his face almost glow against everything else. His black vest and jeans made him look quite cool, and he smiled for the first time. His reflection was engulfing him like a tornado, and he soon became so obsessed that he didn't notice the young girl tugging at his arm. He jumped, and then realised what it was, and calmly said, "Oh, hey there. What's up?" He was shocked at his own voice; it was the first time he had heard it properly, and it was really weird.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" the girl asked, a smile adorning her pretty face. "I'm Elisa. What's your name?" He struggled for a moment; it had never crossed his mind.

"Um… Demyx. I'm Demyx."

"Nice to meet you, Demyx!" Elisa beamed, "As you're new here, I guess I might as well fill you in. At the moment, there are two groups you need to worry about. First, there's Seifer's lot. They're usually down in the Sandlot. Fuu, Rai and Vivi, Seifer's cronies, you don't really need to worry about them. But Seifer, he's trouble. The town self appointed disciplinarian, he'll totally waste anyone he doesn't know, so if you and him crossed paths, you'd be for it." 'Uh oh,' Demyx thought, 'I'm staying out of his way.' The only trouble is, she'd neglected to tell him where the Sandlot was. There wasn't any sand anywhere, so there couldn't really be a Sandlot, could there? "Also," Elisa continued, "there's Hayner's gang. There not as much trouble, but Hayner's got an attitude problem, so don't catch him without Pence or Olette with him. Got it? See you, then!" With that, she skipped off merrily. "Lord," he groaned, "now I'm even more confused!" Clutching his head, he strolled off, down the path that, oblivious to him, led to the Sandlot.

"Hey, blondie!" Someone called from behind him, "I haven't seen you before. You new around here?" He turned around, and saw a much taller teenager, wearing a beanie hat and a sleeveless coat. "Yeah," Demyx retorted, "what's it to you? I mean, you can't even dress yourself, let alone hurt me." But, almost as the words cascaded from his mouth, he was on the floor, a blue club pressed against his neck. "The name's Seifer," snarled the teenager, "and Twilight Town rules state any newcomer needs to be shown whose boss." Seifer let him go, and Demyx gave him an odd look. "You know, where I come from, we don't usually make friends by threatening them," It was a good comeback, but it would have been more convincing if Demyx actually knew where he came from, "you never know what sort of trouble it could get you into." By now, the little ember of jealousy had become a full-blown inferno of anger and rage. "Yeah?" Seifer questioned him, "and what are you gonna do about it?" Demyx let a smirk grow on his face. "Nothing," he spat out, "just this." He reached down inside him, let the anger take control, and muttered the simple words, "Dance, water, dance!"

Cascades of spiralling water flew up from the paved ground, throwing Seifer off his feet. "What the- ?" he yelled in disbelief. The torrents fell to the floor again, and Seifer ran away, a frightened puppy to Demyx's snarling bear of an attack. He stared in awe at his own hands. "Wow," he muttered, "that was weird." And he walked off, wondering what the heck had just happened.

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Well, that's another chapter over! Hope you enjoyed it, and keep reading! 

Axira.


	3. Enrollment and friends

Night was falling. Rain pierced Demyx's skin like bullets. He was looking for a safe place to stay the night, to hide, to get away from the confusion and misery that now haunted his waking hours. Unfortunately, the best he could do was a back alley behind one of Twilight Town's uninhabited homes. He sighed. "Things could be worse, I guess," he told himself reassuringly.

He threw himself down on a box, still contemplating over earlier. Where had the water come from? Did he make it appear? Could he…? No, that was too silly. Though, if people could run around slaying Heartless with swords shaped like keys, and worlds could suddenly disappear, controlling water seemed normal. He clutched his head in frustration, and let out a moan. What exactly had happened? He was on the floor… then, he said something… then the water started. Wait a second. He said something. What was it? He shook his head violently, trying to remember what he said. Something to do with water, wasn't it? "Um, let' s see… 'Water, forward!'" He thrust his palms outwards, hoping for at least a little stream, or even a few drops. Nothing. "Oh, right. Um, 'Go, water, go!'. 'Release water now!'. 'Stand under my umbrella?'" Still, not a trickle came forth. He screamed in fury, pounding his fists against the crumbling, derelict wall. He scolded himself, "God, man, you're such an idiot! Why can't you even say 'Dance, water, dance?' He opened his eyes, tears forming in the corners. The water level was rising rapidly, and kept on going. He withdrew his hands, and the clear blue liquid splashed into a pathetic puddle at his wet, sodden feet. "Right," he said cautiously, "I'm so definitely remembering that now."

"You better. Superior's not going to be happy if you can't even remember three words." The voice came from behind him, shaking him into sudden readiness. Demyx spun to face the source, and saw a man, clad in black, a hood pulled over his face, apparently looking back at him. "I mean," the figure continued, "I'm not even bother going to ask if you don't promise me you'll remember." The man stuck out a hand, symbolising a handshake, "Promise?" Demyx reached forward surreptitiously, and touched the man's hand, only to quickly bring it back to his chest. The gloved hand had burned with cold electricity, sending a burning sensation through his arm, tingling his spine. The figure laughed, and mockingly clapped. "I like it! Keep your hand there, just for a minute." Demyx wondered, yet reluctantly placed an open palm to his chest. Strange. Where had his heartbeat gone? "Man, you're slow," replied the strange being, "you haven't even figured it out yet, have you? Didn't you wonder why those Heartless didn't come after you? Look, we're better than these people. There's a place we can go. Come on," an inky black portal of swirling energy appeared behind the person, and he held out a hand, "I'll take you there." Demyx looked at him questioningly, and refused to budge. "Fine then," the man called back, as he disappeared into the portal, "your loss." He stared at where the man had just stood. There wasn't even a mark. "Oh, god," he breathed out raspily, and collapsed in a heap on the cold hard floor.

His eyelids flicked open, and stared up into the crystal blue sky, with not a cloud in sight. His head was spinning with last night's trauma, and he found it hard to bring himself up. He was starving, and he could only think of food. He set out in search of a stall, a shop, anything that contained something edible. By the time he had reached the Sandlot, he had already swiped a load of fruit, most of which had been obliterated already. He sat down happily, munching away on a pear, and watched as people came to and fro, and thought about what the peculiar figure had told him. What people like them? What was the place? And who exactly was the man? Well, he had seemed more like a teenager, but you get the general idea. He was so intrigued with his own deep and complex thoughts, that he didn't notice the fight break out in front of him. Seifer (who looked exactly the same as before; did people here only have one set of clothes?) had got his hands on a shorter, scruffier kid, and was completely wasting him. Blood was spilling out the poor boy's nose, and his two friends had no power to do anything. A sense of revenge came over Demyx, and he stepped in to sort out the mess. Seifer saw him out the corner of his eye and ran away, chucking the other boy to the floor. He knelt down, and asked the blood splattered kid, "Are you okay? You took quite a beating." The other kid looked up at him, and suddenly brought himself up off the floor.

"I'm fine," he muttered, starting to walk away, "so beat it." He wandered off down a back alley, leaving Demyx looking disbelievingly at the spot he had just occupied. His two friends came over to the confused teenager.

"Sorry about that," the girl told him, "Hayner and Seifer have a bit of a rivalry. I'm Olette, and this is Pence," she motioned to the boy standing behind her, and he gave Demyx a two fingered salute, "thank you for helping. Oh, I just hope Hayner's okay!" And with that, the two of them sprinted off, after their half-dead friend. Soon, he was the only one standing in the vacated zone. "WHAT IS WITH THIS TOWN?" he yelled in pure anger.

The swirling noise came again, this time straight in front of him. "Happens when you're stuck between light and darkness," came the same voice, "scrambles the brain cells. Or at least it would, if anyone in this town had brains. Hey, dude, how's it hanging? Sorry, but I never caught your name yesterday, Xiggy wanted me back to light the barbeque."

Demyx screwed his face up, and casually replied, "Demyx. And yours?" The figure laughed, and slowly started to roll back his hood.

"Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" The hood fell gracefully to his shoulders, and revealed a young, seventeen year old, bright red hair blazing in the strong sunlight, with piercing, emerald green eyes, and peculiar triangle marks under them. "Sorry anyway 'bout running out on you yesterday, but Xal's burgers are to die for. Which I guess we did, huh?" He laughed at his joke, but Demyx didn't get it. Axel stared at him like he was some sort of freak. "What's wrong with you?" Axel asked, "No sense of humor?"

"Not really," Demyx retorted, "just you never told me anything, so how should I know?" Axel shook his head, looking extremely sad.

"Lord," he said, "I just thought, you know, maybe, you'd come back with me. I mean, everybody in there is at least five years older than me. I mean, we could help you understand all this confusion. I know I didn't get a word when this happened to me. So, what's say you come back with me, I help you, you help me, everything goes right, and I get that new flame-proof bed from the Superior for doing my job, hey?" The portal appeared behind him again, and he stuck out his hand. Demyx considered; his head really hurt, and he might be able to get a decent meal and a good night's sleep. But, looking at Axel's cloak and slightly overworked appearance, was it really the best option?

"Can I think about it? I mean, just for an hour or two?" Axel sighed.

"Fine. You've got an hour, okay? And if you haven't made your mind up by then," he drew a finger over his throat, "it's go time." He lounged into the portal, and Demyx sat back down on the rough, gravely floor hard. Was it really worth it? In the distance, the clock tower chimed eleven. He had until midday to make up his mind, or he was toast.

He was walking around in the woods he had found in a crack in the wall. The shady canopy of green blocked the sun. His skin felt refreshed, and his mind somewhat cleared. The good things and bad things about what Axel had said were stuck firmly in his mind, in two neat little piles. If only he could choose.

BONG. BONG. BONG.

"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" He stammered in fear in frustration. Axel was coming. And he hadn't made up his mind! Beads of sweat started rolling down his forehead. Suddenly the swirling noise of death came.

"Made up your mind, then?" Axel's clearly distinctive voice almost echoed in the sanctitude of the clearing.

Demyx span round, an uncertain smile hung on his face. "Uh… no?"

Axel's face suddenly changed from friendly to annoyed. "Oh… right… well then…" he said in an undertone. He looked away, avoiding Demyx's general direction. The floor immediately burst up in flames, a ring of fire circling off any way of escape. Swirls of darkness encircled Axel's hands, and two oddly shaped weapons appeared, almost like pointed hula hoops, with two crossed pieces of woods as handles. Axel looked up slowly, looking positively evil (and yet, still cute), and said, "bring it!" He leaped at Demyx, thrashing him with the pointed edges of his deadly firearms. Every cut burned with the pain of a roaring Bunsen burner flame, and left a deep groove in Demyx's pale unprotected flesh. "Play with fire," Axel said between slashes, "and you might get BURNED!" A roaring inferno of spiralling flame engulfed the two of them, and would've burnt them to a crisp, if it weren't for the fact that Axel controls fire, and the Superior wanted Demyx alive. As the flames thinned, it was clear Axel had pinned Demyx's neck down to the ground with two spikes, and Demyx himself was almost unconscious, managing to retain his consciousness with thought of nothing in particular. The floor turned back into the far more comfortable grass, and all flames died down, except the ones that burned inside the two of them, connecting them together like kindred spirits. That, my friends, is the flame of passion, and is what gave them control over elements. "Right then," Axel panted, "you get my point?" Demyx, who was slightly worse for wear (note sarcasm; almost every part of his body was bleeding), smiled up at the person who had just tortured him.

"Three things; if I come with you, you promise to help me understand?" Axel nodded. "Would I get a cool weapon like those?" He nodded.

"Sort of. Nothing is cooler than my chakram."

"And would I get to listen to music?" Axel chuckled, and helped the wounded teenager to his feet. "Fine then," Demyx smirked, "I guess I'll come along." A portal opened in front of the two of them, and they walked slowly forward Demyx leaning on Axel for support. "Oh, but be warned," Demyx added, "I am NEVER fighting like that, unless I desperately have to."

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I felt the need to do a big chapter. No idea why, if I'm brutally honest. Read & review, and keep reading!

Axira.


	4. Meetings and weapons

"Wow," Demyx breathed in amazement, "big." Axel laughed.

"Is that really the best you can come up with? It's a frickin' castle!" The two shared a laugh, and continued to walk towards the stronghold that was The Castle That Never Was. During the walk between the twisting, turning back alleys, and up to the castle's invisible paths, Demyx had had his scars healed by a passing Dusk (who, before he gave into his darkness, was a doctor), and the two had shared life stories. Good friends become friendly quick, I guess. He was surprised that he was being taken to such an amazing place. Everything was bathed in absolute darkness, and yet it seemed delightfully comforting. His life was back on track; for now, anyway. Things were becoming that little bit clearer; Axel had explained, and was still trying to explain, what had happened, back on the Destiny Islands. "Well," he muttered, his sights still firmly on the structure looming ever closer, "let's recap, shall we? You had your heart abducted; you wound up in that dump; and now you're here. Got it memorized?"

"That much, at least. But, I still don't get what I am, you know? It just seems a bit strange. I mean, I'm not human, so what am I?"

"A Nobody. Looks like a human, talks like a human, eats, breathes and sleeps like a human. Sure, stick pins in us, we bleed. But the big difference? No hearts. That, my friend, is why you weren't attacked by those Heartless. Why would they be interested in somebody- actually, make that nobody- who didn't have a heart?" Demyx nodded in agreement; finally, something made sense! And, as the two finished their conversation, they reached the decorated trellis that was the door, leading into a surprisingly vast hallway. Demyx whistled through his teeth, as the two began to ascend the spiral staircase (every bad guy lair has to have at least one, right?) that lead to the top floor, and the Superior's office.

As Axel knocked gingerly on the gleaming white door, Demyx considered running for it. This was rather intimidating. But, he didn't want to let his new friend down. So, he put on his calmest face to mask the fear and softness, and put his brain into best behaviour mode. The door opened, a Sorcerer wearing a snappy tuxedo, with tails double the size of the creature. Axel had explained the different types of Nobodies; these were one of the extremely dangerous and powerful ones. He slid past, waving unsurely at the being, without even noticing the imposing chair, stuck behind the business-type desk. He noticed even less (if that was possible) the doubly imposing figure, sat in the imposing chair behind the business-type desk. He turned and jumped, straight into the hard plastic chair the other side of the person in the chair.

Grey-silver hair, tanned skin, golden eyes. This had to be the Superior. "Oh crap," Demyx whispered to himself, "I so didn't study for this." The man looked him straight in the eye, and Demyx froze. It was almost like being x-rayed. The man smiled a cold, emotionless smile.

"That's how they all react," he muttered, "I never get tired of it. You must be Demyx, am I right? I am known as Xemnas, superior of Organization XIII, supreme lord and master over all Nobodies." 'Wow,' Demyx thought, 'no wonder everybody's scared of this guy.' "So," Xemnas continued, "Number Eight tells me you are interested in joining. Well, I have seen your power over water, and I have to say, I was impressed. The only problem is, I cannot think of a suitable weapon for your unique style. Music and water aren't usually associated. I don't suppose… you have any ideas?" Demyx thought hard, so hard it made his head hurt. Music and water, music and water, music and water! What went together?

"Um… how about… an instrument that can, you know, control water? That's probably the easiest thing." Xemnas looked peculiarly at him, but his brown face broke out in a smile.

"I like your style, kid." Xemnas snapped his fingers, and another Sorcerer appeared, this time carrying a large parcel, held together with duck tape. It passed the package to Demyx, who looked at the little tag hanging off the brown paper on a bit of string. 'To Demyx. From Organization XIII.' He eagerly tore back the paper; this was even better than Christmas! His face dropped when he saw what was inside; a large block of something hard and white. Indescribable, really. Okay, so maybe it isn't, but I can't be arsed to write down every little chip, or smooth edge, or little lump. It would take too long. Anyway, Demyx looked back up at his new Superior, a look of utter sadness adorning his face. Xemnas smiled. "You know, you're even better than me at acting. God, I almost believed you were sad just then! Anyway, just close your eyes and think of your perfect weapon." Demyx did so, and kept his eyes closed for about a minute. Unbelievably, this was actually hard! He opened his eyes slowly, and nearly jumped in surprise as he looked at what he was holding. A blue sitar, shaped like the symbol that hung in a frame on the office wall. And better yet, he could actually get a decent tune out of it! He knew there were two ways of playing these; either like a guitar, or like a piano. He played it both ways, and finally, after strumming out numerous songs, chose the latter to control water with. Xemnas had a Sorcerer to usher him out, and he was rudely shoved out through the door, where Axel was still waiting patiently.

"Scary or what?" Axel asked him, the tiniest hint of sarcasm hiding in there somewhere. Demyx nodded, and descended the stairs again. "Think you might like to see your room. You'll be sharing with me, seeing as the half the castle is still being built. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. I mean, I'd rather have someone there until I'm settled. Lord, this is sort of like going to secondary school!"

They reached a door, a crudely drawn sign saying "VIII" hung over the doorknob. Axel politely opened the door, and Demyx stepped through, into the surprisingly spacious room. Like all the other rooms, it was brilliant white, but there were big hints of Axel's pyro tendencies. Almost all the furniture had either a little burn, or half of it was smouldering ash. "Yeah," Axel said, embarrassed, "I was sort of meant to clean this up. Just a word of advice, don't sit on the black bits. You'll probably get your undies burnt through." There were two beds, one kitted out with a print reminiscent to a flame; black at the top, then red, orange, finally ending with a stroke of yellow. The other bed was covered with a print like water; a light blue, with strokes of darker shades. He immediately knew which one was his, and flung himself onto it, longing for its comfort. He hit it with the force of an elephant, and yet it didn't hurt, and he almost fell asleep just being on it. Axel stared poking him in the back, saying, "You know, you might not want to fall asleep just yet. We haven't met everybody else!" He managed to drag the exhausted Demyx off the bed, and half-dragged him through the door, off to see the sights of the half finished castle.

As they reached the shooting range, the sounds of rapid gunfire almost made Demyx's ears bleed. He looked past the protective glass, and saw a man, probably mid-thirties, with his black-grey hair tied back in a fashionable ponytail. With his strange rifle hoisted over his shoulder, he looked pretty damn cool. Axel picked up an AK 47 from the rack, and went to join the other person. Demyx followed, and saw the targets were of a young boy, and most of the bullet marks were either through his chest or his head. The other person suddenly acknowledged their presence when Axel, with precise aim, obliterated his target, knocking it out of the gripper. "Hey, Ax," the other man said, sounding suspiciously like a fifteen-year old surfer, "showing the newbie around? Tough breaks." Axel, however, wasn't listening; he had already destroyed another two targets, and all with one magazine! "Hey, little dude," the other man said, "you look like a decent dude. Name's Xigbar," he held out a hand, and Demyx shook it, "if you ever want some pointers on shooting, I'm your guy. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah…" Xigbar turned back to his target, and shot an array of purple bullets, apparently made of pure energy, straight through the heavy-duty cardboard target. Axel chucked the gun to the floor; out of ammo.

"Come on, Dem," he told him, "we've still got people to see."

"So," Demyx asked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, "we're not going to get any closer?"

"Not unless you want to be circumcised, no. Xaldin's deadly with those lances of his." Xaldin, with his mighty dreadlocks of doom, was stirring multiple pans at once, two of which he was doing himself, the rest with purple lances moving themselves. Demyx wondered to himself whether he was ever going to fully understand this crazy place, when yet another lance whizzed just short of his head, and smashed itself into the plaster of the wall behind the two of them. Axel noticed the note on the end of the spear, and tore it off. "_Run_. Well, it's to the point." The two of them set off sprinting, as a barrage of kitchen utensils pierced the poor, innocent wall.

They were stood outside the solid metal wall. "This is probably the closest you'll ever get to Vexen, unless you're unlucky enough to have to sit by him at any point. If so, beware any strange coloured drinks."

The gym was absolutely full with equipment, from dumbbells to exercise bikes. Lexaeus was doing about thirty reps a minute with ten-kilo weights. "Don't worry about settling in," he was telling Demyx, "if anybody gives you lip, just come and find me. I can't stand violence, unless I'm causing it."

"Thanks, Lex," Demyx replied, "that's good to know."

"Some sort of emo, is he?" Demyx asked, seeing the young adult looking through a book, seemingly not taking in any of it. Axel nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's not his fault. Before Zexion was a Nobody, he was the second most trusted assistant of that shit head, Ansem. You can understand at his age, it was a little too much for him to bear."

"Now, before we go in, I have to warn you," Axel said, "you might leave here with one less appendage." He slowly opened the door, only to have it slammed shut in his face again. A note slid under the door, reading, 'I've already heard about Demyx. If you know what's good for you, you wont come in. Saïx.' "Better than I expected," Axel muttered, "well, that's everybody! Any questions?" Demyx shook his head vigorously. "Fine then. Last time I checked, Xaldin had apple pie in the oven. Care to join me?" Demyx laughed for what seemed the first time in ages, and the two sauntered to the kitchen, laughing and Saïx-bashing.

* * *

Nice to see Demyx accepted for once, huh? Hope you enjoyed that chapter, and that you keep on reading! 

Axira.


	5. Left Behind

"Three new members at the same time? Wow, we must be really short-staffed at the moment." Axel was talking on his cell phone to Xemnas, who had just told him the news. "Okay, Superior, Demyx and I will make sure they get a nice welcome. Bye!" He hung up, and blew out a sigh of relief. "Finally! Operation newbie-welcome is ago!" Demyx, strumming out a little tune on his sitar was half paying attention, but was jogged into full consciousness when a ball of flame shot past his head.

"Oh, right!" They had gone over Axel's master initiation plan for roughly two weeks now. It had to be said, it was brilliant. Now, ho to put it into action?

"Okay, Dem. You get them to No Mans Balcony, I'll go set things up." Axel shot out of the door, happier than a Rabid Dog with a bone. Demyx sighed appreciatively; it was rare to get Axel in one of these moods, and he hadn't seen him like this since he had agreed to join up. Thanks to Xemnas, the furniture would probably be spared.

"Well, I'd better get going then, I guess." He packed his sitar into it's water-proof case, and head off. No Mans Balcony was the perfect place to set their trap, really.

"Hey, dudes!" He waved like a madman to the three newcomers, who standing around like little children. One was a _girl_, one seemed really quiet, and the other… had pink hair. "_Gaylord," _Demyx muttered under his breath, "So, you're new here, right? The name's Demyx. Pleased to meet ya! Come on, I'll show you around. I've just got to go pick up my friend first, so would you mind coming with me? I mean, you'll see some of the castle on the way there." The gay one stepped forward, apparently wanting to make a speech. Dickhead.

"Sure, we'll come along. I'm Marluxia, that's Larxene, and he's Luxord. Or, at least I think so. He hasn't talked much." The four walked off, a secret smile on Demyx's face.

"Hey, Axel!" Axel winked at him slyly, as Demyx told the three of them to wait where they were. As his friend moved away from under the fake ceiling, Axel pulled the lever cleverly concealed behind his voluminous sleeve. As the two sniggered quietly to themselves, the three heads the other side of them looked up slowly, as the trap door slowly creaked open.

Three gallons of oil dropped from the hatch. As Marluxia and Larxene got drenched in a sticky black coat of gunk, Luxord summoned a playing card and jumped through, narrowly avoiding a drenching. As the other two futilely tried to dry themselves off, Axel let rip with a heaping great load of fire. The oil ignited, sending them off in their own personal hell of flames. "I'd like to help, "Demyx said, smirking," but you know about oil and water!" Luxord reappeared, out of the ace of spades, sighing gently.

"Lord, am I glad I didn't get caught in that predicament," he breathed. His accent was purely English, and Axel jumped on the bandwagon immediately.

"Ah, British, are we?" His voice was mimicking the newcomer's extraordinarily well, and if you hadn't met him before, you would believe he was English. "I say, jolly good show, old chap! You diverted my trap with expert precision! What say you to some backgammon in the parley room?" Luxord was utterly confused, and didn't say a word, his brilliant silver earrings glittering in the perpetual moonlight.

"Dude," Demyx whispered in his non-pierced ear, "we were just going to get hammered in our room. Care to join us?" Luxord's eyes lit up at the mention of alcohol.

"Now, THAT'S my language!" The three walked off, Luxord nattering about his fall into oblivion; becoming a Nobody.

"And then," Demyx hiccupped, swaying gently, the result of about ten too many bottles from Port Royal, "Xemnas decided to let us off, but only because we found his missing Minnie Mouse underwear. Oh, and we found Saïx's Eeyore mug, and because of that he had lost his hair straighteners to the grumpy git's hammer."

"Dude," Axel groaned, nearly passed out on the flame-retardant sofa, "if you hadn't fallen off Pride Rock in the first place, we wouldn't have had to give it back to him." Luxord said nothing; it's a little hard when you're unconscious. "Who are we talking to, anyway?"

"No one. Just you, Luxy and Dumbo."

"Man, you're wasted." Demyx didn't respond; he had run off, vomiting in his mouth.

TWELVE DAYS LATER

"WHAT? YOU'RE LEAVING?" Demyx screamed at his roommate's head, as the teenager put his stuff in a suitcase.

"Just for a week or so. Something to do with Castle Oblivion or something. But Xemnas, the Gaylord, put that weirdo Marluxia in charge. So, for the next few days, I'm under flower boy's rule. Sucks to be me."

"But, what am I going to do? I mean, with you gone, I have to rely on Zexion for a source of entertainment, but he's going as well, so…"

"Luxord?" Axel suggested, hugging his chakram to his chest before packing them away, and clicking the fiery case shut, "Don't worry, I'm sure you can find something to do." He slammed the door behind him, leaving water-boy all by himself.

"Oh. Well… _all by myself, I don't want to be all by myself_…" he sung high and quietly, falling slowly on his bed. His head was spinning again, and he felt really sick.

"Demyx?" Xigbar peered round the door. His friend hadn't left his room for four days, and he was starting to worry. "You okay, dude? Haven't seen you around that much." Demyx appeared to be eating his pillow. He looked up lazily, diverting his gaze directly at the older man's scar.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just… bored. Without Axel causing me to pull out the fire extinguisher every hour, it seems like nothing's going on." Xigbar nodded sympathetically.

"Know what you mean, little dude. Hey, I know! How 'bout a trip to the beach? I mean, a private one. Or even… Atlantica. Nothing but water there. And past that silly little city, there's this really nice bit of coral reef that's virtually deserted." Demyx's eyes lit up at the mention of water, and he immediately grabbed his sitar case and followed obediently at II's heels.

"Whoa! This is… whoa!" Demyx swirled elegantly, his misty blue fins following. It had been a while since he had this much fun! All his loneliness drifted away on a passing current, and he lost himself to the water. Xigbar swam up, fluorescent purple eel tail right behind him.

"Yeah, this is all well and good, but how come you're a merman and I'm an eel? This is so totally unfair…"

"Water's my natural element, Xiggy. I died near the beach, so it's only natural to come back to one. But, seriously, how did you know about this place?" Xigbar's expression changed from pissed off to downright sad.

"Because… Braig… my other… took his-wait, our- girlfriend here, before he died." Demyx stopped making a whirlpool to trap a school of fish, and went to encourage his downhearted (can you still use that expression with a Nobody? Oh well) friend.

"Come on, Xiggy, cheer up! Look, I'll show you something." He swam off, this time Xigbar following.

"Oh, dude, this is perfect!" Red and white shells were in target shapes, and Xigbar's blast-happy nature was nearly exploding. He whipped out his rifle, and let rip a round of bullets, obliterating the targets without missing a shot. "Thanks, little dude. Oh, crap, is that the time?" he said, looking down at his water-proof watch, "the second party's meant to be back any minute now! Come on, we'd better get going!"

"Axel!" Demyx cried happily, giving his newly returned roommate a noogie. Axel pushed his arm off, a small smile on his face. "So, where are the others?" The redhead smiled unsurely, raising his arms apologetically.

"Um, well, about that… I may have got them the tiniest bit killed." Demyx laughed heartily, if that's possible when you're a Nobody, and gave his friend a hi-five.

"Oh well. Bigger and better things, right? What happened to Organization Enemy No.1?"

"Sora? Um... Kairi, his girlfriend, became a Nobody, Naminé, you may have heard of her, but Kairi was still alive somehow. So, Sora came into Castle Oblivion for no apparent reason, became a Nobody slash Heartless for a bit, turned back, and now he's sleeping because of Naminé. "

"Right. That works. I think." The two walked slowly to their room, thoughts of hard liquor filling their heads.

* * *

Castle Oblivion sucks crap. I mean, they killed Sexy Zexy! That's just wrong, dudes and dudettes! Hope you enjoyed that chapter, and that you keep reading! 

Axira.


	6. End of the Holidays

"Keyblade master?"

"Keyblade master."

"No initiation ceremony, due to the fact we might get our asses kicked?"

"No initiation ceremony, due to the fact we might get our asses kicked."

"Xigbar's going to give him a swirlie anyway, probably adding another scar to his collection?"

"Xigbar's going to give him a swirlie anyway, probably adding another scar to his collection."

The two's conversation carried on like this for a while, as they watched the newcomer coming out of the toilet, his already outrageous hair dripping with water. Demyx shielded his eyes, as the fury of the Keyblade was let loose on Xigbar. "Ouch," Axel grimaced, "that's going to leave a mark." The scene of unimaginable carnage and horror finally removed itself, as the young boy's Keyblades disappeared, leaving blood dripping from his hands. The teenager wandered over to Axel and Demyx, staring back angrily at Xigbar limping away.

"You know, the guy's alright, just a complete ass-hole. Nice to meet you. The name's Roxas."

"Nice to meet you too, Roxie. You don't mind if I call you Roxie, do you? I'm Axel. That's Demyx, otherwise known as Dem." Demyx nodded appreciatively; already glad he hadn't been sliced, diced and served on rice. He was allergic to rice, for one thing.

"You know, our initiation ceremony's much better than Xiggy's," Demyx explained, "usually, it involves drinking until either you throw up, or pass out, whichever comes first. You up for it?"

"You bet I am! Screw being underage."

"I'm underage too, but I don't care. I've probably had more hangovers than George Best. Get used to it. Once you become a Nobody, you don't age anymore, so yeah, get drunk anyway. That's my philosophy." The three walked off, best friends already, with a hankering to get hammered.

One hour and far too many drinks later…

"Wow," Demyx managed to say, face embedded in a pillow, "Xemnas is actually stupid enough to try speed dating? The only Nobody girl around here was Larxene, and she and Marluxia were making out in a closet. And now she's dead. Them's the breaks, I guess." Roxas was staring at Axel; he hadn't moved for ten minutes now.

"Is he dead, or just passed out?" Demyx studied him gently, and then kicked him hard in the ribs. A satisfactory crunch was heard, and he left him to it.

"A little bit of both, I think. Better let him lie; if he's awake, consider your hair, which is awesome by the way, burnt to a cinder. Now, before I get too sloshed to see straight," he held up two brand new Nontendox Xii remotes, "how about a go at 'Sora Annihilation 3: Die, Bitch'?" Roxas stared in awe, with a little confusion mixed in there somewhere.

"Wow, they finally released it! I played one and two in Xemnas's room while he was sorting out Xaldin's tangled dreads," he said, choosing multiplayer off the selection screen, "you know, I don't have any memories about who my other actually is, but Sora sounds familiar. All I know, Superior has a poster of his face with lots of little dart holes in it." Sora appeared at that moment, along with many clones. The two let rip with the 'b' trigger, ripping the head off anyone fool enough to wander into the width of the screen.

"Well," Demyx panted, wiping the sweat off his forehead, "that was fun, wasn't it? Nice to see someone else who knows the code to turn Sora into Kairi." He glanced over at the calendar, and nearly jumped out of his mega-stylish robe, "Oh, horse crap! Tomorrow's start of the new school year! Man, new assignments! Even worse, Xemmy decided on a team-building week. How shit."

Roxas stared up from the bottom of a crisp packet, cheesy powder round his mouth. "Team-building? Xemmy had some papers on is desk about it. It said something like, 'Pack them off in a four and a three while I get my hair redone, and eat Luxord's nacho stash. Also, give Demyx a more frightening weapon.'" Demyx was staring wide-eyed, almost crying.

"No. Bitching. Way. He is not, and I repeat, NOT, taking my sitar away from me, without me getting my pyro friend involved."

"We'd better get some sleep. If we're like Axel this time tomorrow, your haircut will pay the price." The two settled down on their beds, Roxas's squashed into the only available corner, and fell asleep instantly.

If The World That Never Was had dawn, it would be taking hold right about now. The everlasting stars twinkled even brighter than usual. The three woke reluctantly, as three alarm clocks, one Mickey Mouse (playing the Mickey Mouse March), one Winnie-the-pooh (the theme tune), the other Greenday (Jesus of Suburbia), started ringing over the already inconceivable din of music. They were almost crushed under three angry fists, of three angry teenagers, angrily getting out of their three beds.

"Bloody hell," Axel growled, nursing a hangover, "back to missions today, right?"

"Uh huh," Roxas agreed, clutching his pounding forehead, "team-building week first though. Absolute bloody shit. Isn't that right, Dem?"

"Mflmf, trfm lifuff."

"Dem, you're eating your pillow again."

Demyx removed the slobbery cushion from his jaw, trying not to spill the toxic liquid on his gloved hand. "Oh, sorry. I was saying 'Yeah, that's right.' But still, chin up! At least we can be in the three, right?"

"Yeah, as long as you don't start singing every two seconds. If I have to listen to _Torn on the Platform _one more time, I'm going to stick you on the platform while the train's coming. That way, you really will be torn on the platform. Torn in half."

"Chill, Axel! Wait, that's impossible for a pyromaniac, isn't it?"

"Touché."

The three walked sullenly to the conference room slash main hall, which hadn't been stepped in for the past six weeks. The smell of last year's end of working year party still hung vividly in the air, Saïx's sick prevailing over all. As the three jumped up on their chairs, Axel burning the pile of rubbish occupying his, and stared around at the other five already in their places. 'Another day,' Demyx thought drearily, 'another few billion lives, waiting to be lost to the darkness.'

'Is this just a never-ending spiral, leading us down into the abyss of oblivion? Say, if we were to block the source of this disturbance, would al of this end? Or would we continue? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If we were to take action, wiping out the Heartless, would the reaction be that a new threat would arise, thus just pushing us further and further into the bottomless pit of despair, which I now occupy? I'm stuck here now. My actions in my past life led me to my evident destruction, and now I'm here for eternity, supposedly meant to repay my debt to society. So is everybody else in this hall. We have all lost something dear to us. I know most of them; but Xemnas remains a closed door. He always seems so upset. I wonder what he left behind? Something very close to his now non-existent heart, I bet. What could drive a man into such a deep depression? I, Demyx, now propose to find why Xemnas is so upset, even if it takes me an eternity.'

That, readers, is one of the few times Demyx actually thought something smart. By the time he had run through his mighty speech, Xemnas had already run through his opening speech, and was putting the teams together.

"Now, this is not just a bit of fun. Even though this is not a serious mission, it is almost like pre-op. As there are two teams, and ten worlds that we need to infiltrate, as we can't get into Disney Castle, because of that wretched Cornerstone of Light, each team will take the week to scout five different worlds. We start tomorrow, a Tuesday, and will finish on Saturday. Each team will report to me separately on the Sunday, and I shall take what you have said into consideration on the Monday. After that, the real missions will begin. After our slight shortage of members," he looked accusingly at Axel, "instead of last year's team arrangement, only one of you will be sent at a time. Now, the teams. VIII, IX, XIII, seeing as you work so well together, you will be Team Skar. II, III, VII, X, you will therefore be Team Wakaba. Now, pack your things; as you will travel light, you will be allowed to take a rucksack each day. Depending on the world, different things will be issued that will be imperative you take. Now, you may go." The seven of them jumped from their chairs, as the newly formed Skar team headed for their room.

"Yeah, why are we named after a skanky lion?" Roxas asked, a questioning look adorning his face.

Demyx turned to his small partner-in-crime, as of yesterday. "Look, all I know, I'd rather be named after a fictional terrorist group, than a Japanese new driver sticker."

As they went into the room, Axel picked up a note left on their coffee table.

"Twilight Town. Our first assignment, right?" Demyx stopped stuffing his _Sgt. Frog _manga collection into a water-blue rucksack.

"Wait. That was the place I first appeared, right? And Roxas, too? I'm not going back there. I made quite the scene, you know. I'm too well known." He started randomly shoving stuff into his sack, panic-packing. He only stopped when he realised he was pressing the same piece of paper onto Roxas's head, about five metres away from his bag.

"Let me see that," Roxas growled, snatching the crumpled note, reading it at light-speed, "ahem, 'When entering an unfamiliar world, teams will be given a new set of clothing to conceal their true identities.' So there's no need to worry, okay?"

"Okay," Demyx said sulkily, "but I'm still not happy."

Axel came over and ruffled his hair. "Come on, buddy, will just have to wait until tomorrow. Come on, let's go and get hammered!"

* * *

Team Sexy... I mean, Skar's assignments will be revealed over the next few chapters, so keep reading! Hope you enjoyed that chapter! 

Axira.


	7. Tuesday

"Wow," Demyx breathed, looking around in wonder, "even in the space of three months, this place has changed a lot!" 

Roxas nodded in agreement, "I was only here a couple days ago, and it seems like a whole different place." Twilight hung in the air, as it always did, as the three walked around the Sandlot. The place was deserted, apart from the fireflies flitting to and fro. Each wearing frankly pathetic clothes, just like all Twilight Towners, they sat down, summoning their weapons just for the hell of it. Roxas's brand new Keyblades sparkled slightly in the blood red sun. Axel checked his watch that was hidden away in one of his combat pockets, instead of on his wrist.

"Ten to eight. People usually start to wake up about now. Seems everybody forgot the phrase 'nine-to-five', using 'eight to ten' instead. Shit bags."

"Aw, let 'em off for once, Ax!" Demyx encouraged, playing _Zipeddi-doo-dah _quietly on his sitar, letting a little puddle dance for his enjoyment. "It's not like they had any choice in it. Doesn't that Ansem dude, like, control this town or something?"

"Ansem? Yeah, I think he does," Roxas said, staring up into the orange, cloudy sky, "apparently, he has some sort of parallel Twilight Town set up, in case of emergency. Xemmy told me that not many people know about it."

"Well, that sucks. They're being lied to! So… what do you want to do? I mean… um…" Demyx pulled a card out of his jeans pocket, cleared his throat, and read, "_Stay hidden. If your cover is blown, get the crap out of there. _Strict orders. Apparently, we also have to pick up some hair gel." The town's clock tower rang out eight chimes in the distance, and the three amigos slid into a back alley, not knowing what to expect.

Suddenly, everything burst into life. Doors were swung open, school children running and playing on their way to improve their minds (not), and teenagers, otherwise known as dropouts, started loitering and tormenting the elderly. Kids, _do not try this at home. _The elderly always carry bricks in their handbags, and you will get a concussion. Roxas peered round the corner, a worried look hanging on his adorable little face. "Crap," he stressed, "how are we meant to stay hidden in this?"

"Maybe we're not," Axel replied, a joking quality in his voice, "perhaps it's, like, one of those reverse psychology things. I think that we're meant to get integrated into the community, so we can learn some dirt first hand. Who's with me?" Demyx and Roxas raised their hands in the ordinary fashion. Finally, Axel's position as their superior was starting to show.

They started to pass through the rushing crowd, not managing to go two steps with bumping into someone. Many cries of "watch it," resounded from the mass, as Axel angrily swore at anyone who got in his way. Demyx pleaded with his conscious to kill him while he still had an excuse, but his mind disagreed, and managed to hold out enough to reach the Usual Spot, where he relaxed into an empty chair, no longer contemplating suicide. Fortunately for them, Hayner, Pence and Olette hadn't arrived yet, and wouldn't for another, oh, half an hour. Just enough time to go over the plan. Again.

"Right," Roxas said, eating a bag of nachos he had found behind the empty orange crates, "so, we make friends with a few locals, get them to spill the beans,"

"Not literally, I hope," Demyx whined, "the last time someone spilled some beans, I was in the shower for two hours."

"As I was saying," Roxas said, pissed off, " get them to spill, then leg it. Right?" Axel nodded approvingly, his actual face hidden behind a Nontendox magazine, with a preview of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories._

"How cool," he said, amazed, "we're in our own video game! You'll be able to find out what happened in Castle Oblivion, Dem. Though, they'll make it look like we're the bad guys. Dickheads."

Chattering started coming from the doorway. Demyx recognised the most prominent as the kid he saved from Seifer. Hayner, wasn't it? "Oh, crap," he whispered, "hide!" The three jumped behind an abnormally large box, as Hayner, Pence and Olette sauntered through, holding an ice cream each that was melting over their hands. They were laughing as if someone had just sexually assaulted a dog, and Axel mimicked them, looking absolutely retarded, just like they did. Demyx and Roxas bit their lips, trying to stifle their laughter. Pence, the largest of the three, unfortunately sat on the crate they were hidden behind, and the three Nobodies had to get down on their stomachs to avoid being seen. The Twilight Towners started what felt like what was going to be a lengthy conversation. Demyx let out the tiniest little groan, and settled down into a sleeping position, hoping to catch a nap. He had been up at the crack of dawn, hoping to bypass the Heartless in the Corridors of Darkness. His t-shirt and torn jeans fell comfortably onto his pale body, as his two friends lay down beside him. 'Brace yourself,' Demyx thought, 'this is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.'

Two hours later, and they still hadn't made their move. Hayner, Pence and Olette were perhaps the most boring people ever created. Axel and Demyx were playing Poker with some cards Luxord had given Axel for his non-birthday, and Roxas was eating the cookies they were using as chips, much to Demyx's disgust. It was the ones with the chocolate cream in the middle! As Demyx revealed a Royal Flush, compared to Axel's rather unfortunate High, the redhead slammed his fist down on the bare earth, causing the cookie placed precariously close to Axel's mighty fist of doom to launch itself into the air, flipping dramatically. It caught Olette's eye, who then decided, unbeknownst to her friends, to go and investigate. As the brunette craned her head down, the three Organization members tilted theirs upwards, Demyx staring right into her dark jade eyes. He casually gave her a two-fingered salute, and calmly said, "Yo," even though his brain was now ready to explode. The girl nearly fainted, but instead let out a gut-wrenching scream; so high-pitched you could mistake it for a dog whistle. Axel covered his ears in disgust.

"Lord, Roxie, she's even better than you! 'Scuse me," he asked the girl politely, even though she was still screaming her lungs dry, looking rather pale "but, d'you think you could stop? My eardrums are going to start bleeding in a minute." He hadn't needed to ask; she was on the floor, unconscious. Hayner had come over by this time, and was staring questioningly down at the boys.

"Okay, who the crap are you?"

"Ooh, crap," Roxas said mockingly, at Hayner's inability to swear properly, "real scary. What the shit is wrong with you?"

"Well." Hayner retorted, "you ARE hiding in our hangout, you HAVE just made one of my best friends faint, AND we have no idea who you are!" Demyx and Axel were standing one either side of XIII, looking like a pair of bodyguards. Demyx breathed a secret sigh of relief; Hayner hadn't recognised him.

"Well," he explained casually, ruffling his hands through his mullet, which he had refused to give up, "if you had just let us explain, instead of accusing us heinously like that, we would have explained. I'm Myde, that's Lae, and he's Roxas." He had used his and Axel's other name, but not Roxas's, as Xemnas didn't want him to know who his Somebody was. Like it would matter, "now, if you've got a bone to pick with us, you retard, come on and pick it. We haven't got all day, you know."

Axel continued, "You see, we're… travellers, I guess you could say. But we've only just started, so we really only know about our own world. We just hoping, maybe you could tell some things we might need to know? You know, a helping hand." To show they came in peace (for now, anyway), Roxas helped Olette up, as she started to regain her bearings. To be honest, they looked quite cute together. Demyx whispered in Axel's ear, and the two of them giggled like schoolgirls on sugar. "So, you gonna help us, or are we screwed?" Pence gave Hayner a friendly look, and shook Demyx's hand warmly. He forced a fake smile onto his face, as he felt the sweat moving from the other boy's to his.

"Sure we'd be glad to. I'm Pence, that's Hayner and she's Olette." The five sat down, as Olette already was, and the two Twilight Towners spilled everything they knew, Axel secretly recording it on his MP3 player, and Roxas making any important notes.

"And that is why Rai's afraid of oranges!" Hayner finished his story, luckily, just as Roxas ran out of room on his notepad. Demyx shot Axel a side-glance, and VIII made an air-grab.

"Well, thanks for that!" Demyx said appreciatively, "but you know, we've got to run. If you want to make Hollow Bastion by dawn, you've got to set out early."

"Promise you'll come back?" Olette asked. After the initial shock, they had become quite friendly. Roxas nodded.

"Promise. And if we don't, just try to track us down!" They all laughed, as Demyx, Axel and Roxas walked past the curtain blocking the entrance, smiling and waving. But, as soon as they got past the piece of red material, they returned to what they would have been like, had this not been a mission. Grumpy little gits.

"God," Demyx said, slumping down against a wall, "how boring are those people? If there was a Boring Cup at the Underdrome, they would come away with gold, no doubt."

"Well, Olette was quite cute…" Roxas muttered, looking slightly ashamed with himself. Axel stared at him for a minute, then regained his bubbliness, with chants of 'Roxie's got a girlfriend! Roxie's got a girlfriend!' Demyx sighed, and pulled out his mobile, choosing Xemnas from his phonebook.

"Superior, this is Skar Two. Have collected all available information. What're our next orders?" As Xemnas talked back, Demyx's eyes lit up with both excitement and anxiety. "Okay, S-superior," He choked out, stuttering, "we'll be there by dawn, at the latest. See you." He shut the flip-top with a shaky hand, and stared with regret through the two boys.

"Demyx?" Axel asked, waving his hand in front of IX's face, "You okay, buddy?"

"Land of Dragons." Demyx answered, his voice sounding watery and frightened.

"What?" Roxas asked, perplexed. He didn't know much about the worlds. "What are you talking about?"

"Land of Dragons. It's our next assignment." He looked up into a pair of green and a pair of blue eyes. "And guess what? They're recruiting."

* * *

Well. finally this chapter's done! It seemed to take forever! Hope you enjoyed it, and that you keep reading! 

Axira.


	8. Wednesday

Demyx stared at the enlistment camp distressingly. A contract to the Army last ten years. He knew he wouldn't last ten minutes in battle, seeing as he hadn't had to fight for the past three months. "Shit," he said sadly, "there is no way I am going in there."

"Come on, Dem," Axel said, moving his blazing red armour to a more comfortable position on his shoulders, "it's only for one day! Then, we disappear, and make someone else come here!" He moved calmly into the encampment, swinging his chakrams lazily round his fingers. Roxas sidled up to Demyx, still looking at Axel as he gave someone a scorch mark across their face for commenting on his hair.

"Well, HE sure seems confident."

"Why wouldn't he? He's been in more fights than I've eaten marshmallows in chocolate sauce. And I didn't think that was possible!" Demyx stared down at his blue metal suit, clenching his eyes at the sight of it. He stared at Roxas, who seemed okay with his dark green ensemble. "We'd better go in," he said, his voice full of sadness, "who knows what might happen with some fire and our asses if we don't." The two walked in, and Demyx was sure he heard the strains of the death march somewhere from the mountains.

"So," Captain Li Shang stared at them, his eyes resembling those of a hawk, "you want to join the Imperial Army?"

'No!' Demyx thought to himself, but bravely muttered, "Yes, sir." The Captain studied the three of them, taking note of every muscle and brain cell. He would have them strip if he could, but, much to his disgrace, the first, last, and only time he had done that, it led to many nicknames with the word 'gay' in them.

"Yes, you three will make fine soldiers. But, I will have to give you more… suitable weapons." He thrust three katanas at them, and fortunately, no one's eye was pulled out of its socket. "I understand you are only here for a day, so we will put you to the best use possible. We sent a unit up to the mountain summit to scout for Shan-Yu, leader of the Huns, three days ago. They still haven't returned. Your mission is to search for them and bring them back. Understood?"

"Sir!"

"Sir!"

"Sir!" The three sprinted off towards the checkpoint, as Demyx thanked his lucky Morning Stars (a type of Heartless, nonetheless) that he wasn't dead.

The three wandered through the Checkpoint, Demyx messing with the waterfall. "Well," Axel said sarcastically, "this is pleasant." Unfortunately, that pleasantness was about to be broken.

A massive grey cloud covered the bright sun, casting a gloomy shadow across the three. A dark shape appeared, like the biggest raindrop you ever saw, and plummeted into the stratosphere at, let's say, 60 miles per hour. It hit the pool of water, sending it flying everywhere. The three Nobodies were sent flying back, and crashed into the cliff edge, sending dust in every direction. Demyx strained his eyes, and made out the shape of what would be a centaur, if not for the trailing red cape, armour, and large spear, which ended in lightning bolts.

"An Assault Rider? I thought the Heartless were gone!" He brandished his sword, as his two friends pulled themselves up. They lunged forward, and Roxas's training with a blade became apparent. Axel threw his sword, and was annoyed when it didn't return to his hand. And Demyx, even though he was trying his best, was easily flung back to the wall. Their friend, however, released a series of midair attacks, flinging the Heartless in directions they didn't know existed. After the beast fell to the ground, to weak to stand up straight, a beam of pure light shot out of nowhere, obliterating it.

"Roxie!" Axel whined, "You didn't leave any for me!" Roxas smiled cheekily, and sauntered up the path that led to the mountain.

"Oh, well! A tip for next time: a sword is not a chazrak, or whatever you call it." Axel's fury was clear on his face; it was boiling over in a flush of red, and embers were starting to flare up around his feet.

"Chill, buddy," Demyx reached out to pat his fiery friend on the back, but clutched his hand to his chest after touching the red metal. He looked down at his fingers, which had just received a massive burn from the hot metal; that was going to need a plaster.

"When I get my hands on him," he snarled, and marched up the mountain path, absent-mindedly clutching Demyx by the scruff of his neck, dragging him through the pool of water and up the rough, gravely path.

They caught up with their friend at the mouth of a cave, near the mountain summit. He was wading in the soft, thick snow, studying the ground intently. Axel boiled with rage, and stomped forward, still almost strangling Demyx. "HEY! BLONDIE!" He yelled in anger, and threw Demyx towards Roxas, who had just acknowledged heir presence. The water-master (of sorts) slammed into the wall with considerable force, bringing a rather large sheet of thick, year-old snow down on the two unfortunate teenagers heads. Axel couldn't help but laugh, and fell to his knees, doubling up with laughter. Roxas pulled his head out from underneath the white blanket, and as he trudged through the snow, pulling a dizzy Demyx out before he choked on white powder, scolded, "Real mature, Axel. Real mature." VIII immediately straightened up and summoned his chakram, pinning XIII against the cave mouth.

"Me and you got a problem at the moment, you bastard." Demyx pulled himself to his feet, and stumbled back into the snow, feeling a slight concussion coming on.

"Come on, guys," he mumbled, wandering dizzily, "if we're gonna get to know anything about this world, we'll have to pull together." Axel let his chakram down, and Roxas stopped halfway through summoning his Keyblades.

"Well," Roxas explained, "before I was so rudely interrupted, I saw some footprints leading into this cave. They were pretty much gone, but you could just make them out. Thought it might be a good idea to check it out." The three walked silently into the cave, weapons at the ready.

As they walked into the main chamber, Demyx couldn't help but notice that weird tingly evil sensation in the air. There was a large boulder at the back wall, which Axel and Roxas were trying to break, as he was keeping guard. He sat down on the dusty floor, and found his MP3 player from his rucksack. Turning 'Dance, Dance' up to full volume, he stared at the ceiling nonchalantly. He took out an earphone, and said, "Hey, Axel. Do caves usually have large black portals on their ceiling?" Axel stared up in bewilderment, and Roxas followed his gaze. As the three stared up at the churning mass of darkness, little blobs of it fell, and formed into Shadows. The cave filled to maximum capacity, and the three Nobodies stood, back-to-back, weapons at the ready. "You up for a fight?" Demyx asked cheekily, doing some last minute tuning to his sitar.

"You better believe it." Roxas said, and leapt into the black forms, thrashing his Keyblades wildly but accurately. Axel followed suit, and toasted about forty to a nice golden brown, which goes great with some wasabi and a crisp white. Demyx joined in on the fun, and disintegrated fifty with a raging mass of angry, foaming water. Three minutes the battle lasted, and, while Roxas cleaned up with the help of some light, Demyx rammed the boulder with the end of his sitar. It crumbled into little tiny pieces, the biggest one no larger than the palm of anyone's hand. It revealed a little alcove, and three figures, one short, one fat, one a skinny little twerp, were stuffed in there, gagged and blindfolded. As the three Organization members helped them out, they threw of the blindfolds and gags.

"Thanks for helping," the fat one said, "I'm Chien-po, that's Ling, and he's Yao."

"Nice to meet you," Demyx said awkwardly, "the Captain's been looking for you." The three fighters walked towards the cave mouth, but Axel ran forward and blocked the opening with outstretched arms.

"Whoa there, fellas. You didn't think we'd let you get off that easily, did you?"

"What d'you want, then?" Ling asked.

"Just a little bit of info. For the memories." Roxas said, a smirk adorning his face, "what's life like here?"

Two hours later

"And that's how I got my black eye. There. You happy now?" Yao snorted.

"Yeah, we're happy," Demyx replied. 'And bored half to death.' He thought grumpily. "When you get back, tell the Captain we had to leave."

"Will do." The three soldiers left the cave, and the Nobodies slid down the wall.

"You know, I'm seriously considering suicide right about now." Axel yawned; he settled down for what looked like was going to be a nap. Roxas's mobile started playing Thanks For The Memories, and he slid the top and answered. As the next location was revealed, his eyes lit up with a spark of elation. "Okay, Xemnas, we'll be there in no time," he finished the call, "YES!"

"Where we headed?" Demyx asked, looking over the top of a copy of a reasonably recent Nontendox magazine.

"We're going to Port Royal. We get to be pirates!"

* * *

Seems to me that Roxas should share Sora's enthusiasm with pirates. Read and Review, if you don't mind. 

Axira.


	9. Thursday

Demyx and Axel watched confused, as Roxas skipped merrily around in the town centre. He was wearing traditional pirate gear: the bandana, the striped shirt, the puffy trousers, and the boots. To be honest, he did look quite ridiculous, but neither of them had the heart to tell him. Heh. Heart. Nobody humour. "Come on, guys!" He said, swinging around on a lamppost, "Cheer up! We might even get to go on a pirate ship!"

"And you're so happy… why?" Axel asked, shivering. His little vest top provided virtually no protection against the bitter wind, and his flimsy shorts didn't help the cause. Demyx was only just better off, in a skinny black t-shirt and three-quarter lengths.

"Because! It's pirates! Didn't you ever read those story books when you were a kid, where a pirate finds treasure and gets really rich?"

"Actually, no," Demyx replied, "my father left my mother when my little sister was born."

"The earliest thing I remember was being on the doorstep of this really shit orphanage. The closest thing we got to entertainment was a cardboard box."

"Oh. That explains a lot, Ax." Roxas replied, looking slightly guilty.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I torched it the moment I became a Nobody. Lived in Twilight Town, y'see."

"That also explains a lot. Like how you got those pitchfork marks in your back." Demyx elbowed Roxas playfully, and the two sixteen year olds laughed until they fell over. Axel glared at them momentarily, before stared out towards the sea.

"So… who we gonna ask around here? This place is deserted…"

"According to the handbook…" Roxas whipped it out from a pocket in his trousers, crumpling the puffy bit slightly, "there's a pirate called Jack Sparrow, who goes around with Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. They're bound to know something." The three bounded towards the harbour, and Demyx swore he could see the tops of some sails over the roofs of houses.

Demyx took a couple of steps back, and looked at the entirety of the ship in one glance. Jet black, with grey sails, and a large Nobody emblem painted on the side. Axel reached for the note pinned to the mast, as he and Roxas were already on board, and read it out loud. "'Team Skar, I have given you this ship to aid you in your mission. Track down Mr. Sparrow and get all you can out of him. Superior.' Well. How lovely. I still have no interest in falling into **that**, though," he said anxiously, pointing down to the murky, black water with one hand and pulling on every available life jacket with the other. Demyx laughed before walking up the wobbly boarding plank, tugging his sitar along in its case behind him.

"Avast!" Roxas shouted, pulling on an eyepatch that had been left on the deck, "Captain Roxas and his two shipmates are ready to set sail!" Demyx looked at Axel oddly, and Axel returned the look.

'Captain?' Demyx thought, sitting on the starboard bow, strumming out the bridge to Golden by Fallout Boy. 'Who died and put him in charge?' He was more and more prone to thinking sensibly now, seeing as he had nothing better to do. Past the dorky, cheerful exterior, lurked the smart person that he actually was. And the smart person was about to go on another of his lectures.

'Why, as Nobodies, are we not allowed to feel? Surely, the heart is not the only thing that carries necessary elements to be able to express emotion? What with the physical body being made up of three elements - heart, body and soul – surely all of them carries at least one emotion?

Sure, lots of people say we are thoroughly distanced from our past selves. But they do not realise how wrong they are. The Other, the former being, lies just centimetres away from us. But now, the Nobody shows their true nature. What they were behind the mask. Surely, if you can live without a Heart, you should. And Roxas. Roxas is truly amazing. He could get his Other back almost anytime he wanted. And yet, along with the mightiest weapon in the universe, he decides to fight for us. How absolutely bizarre.'

"Yo, Demyx! Black Pearl off the port bow!" Axel yelled from the crow's nest. It was Demyx's job to halt the Black Pearl as the Nobodies climbed aboard. He whipped out his sitar, and started playing This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race. The sea, already fraught with waves and the like, started battering the sides of the boat, humongous waves crashing over the top, drenching the people on board. As he got to the chorus, an absolutely massive wave, about twenty feet, maybe more, reared up in front of the vessel, and halted it, the wind not allowing the Black Pearl to turn. Roxas threw the boarding plank across, and climbed across, Axel in close pursuit. Demyx handed his sitar over to a water-clone, who had to keep playing, avoiding the attraction the vast sea provided to such a creature, and Demyx followed his friends, his mind somewhat filled with thoughts of treasure and fame.

"What are you planning to do to us?" Elizabeth Swann cried, as Axel went round, tying up her, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, with the rope for the last time.

"Nothing, ma'am," Demyx replied, completely oblivious to the fact Roxas was stuffing every valuable in reach into a large burlap sack, "we just want answers to our questions, is all."

"Aye, is that so?" Jack questioned, his voice full of curiousity and fake superiority, "and why should we believe that?"

"Shut it, you!" Axel shouted, striking Jack hard across the face, leaving a satisfactory purple-blue bruise on his left cheek, "Just do what the kid says, and we'll leave you alone soon enough."

"And what if we refuse?" Will mused. Roxas laughed elegantly, and pointed to a plank, with the end set on fire using Axel's specially designed water retardant flames. "Clever. What are your questions?"

"Simple" Roxas replied, "What do you know about this place? Port Royal. Isla de Muerta, everywhere." Demyx sighed; for some reason, this part always turned out to be tedious. He sat down against the cannon, and took out his notebook: this was going to be one hell of a bumpy ride…

"Was it your father, or someone else?" Jack asked Elizabeth.

"It was certainly not my father!" She protested fiercely, "Not one instance in his life has he groped another woman!"

"Must've been your father then, eh Will?"

"Be quiet, you lousy excuse for a pirate! We've given them enough information. See?" He nodded towards the three Nobodies, who were playing on various game consoles. Axel looked up angrily as Spyro lost his second-to-last life, and noticed that the three hostages were finished. He nudged Demyx and Roxas.

"Dude!" Roxas cried, as his DS fell into the sea, "That was my last Mario!" Demyx's face fell, and he got up to untie the prisoners.

"Thanks for your time," he muttered, loosening the knot, "sorry to be so rough with you." As the ropes fell, Jack and Will immediately drew their weapons, "…eep." Demyx ran as fast as his legs could carry him, grabbing his companions, and threw them onto the Nobody vessel. "Quick! Go! Go! GO!" The ship started pulling through the water, but, slowly and surely, started to rise, being heavily shadowed by the moonlight. As they blinked out of view, Jack sighed heavily. Will gave him the classic 'What's wrong?' look.

"Those," Jack replied, "are perhaps the strangest people we'll ever meet." Will merely walked away.

* * *

Gaah! Sorry this hasn't been updated in ages, but my muse left me for about a month, and I just couldn't find the time nor inspiration to write. Please, read & review. 


	10. Friday

Demyx swore he could hear an orchestral version of 'This is Halloween' in the distance. Glowing orange lights danced in the distant alleyways. He looked down: being a ghost wasn't as fun as he first imagined. Every time dead leaves blew through him, a sudden chill went up his spine to the base of his skull. His skin was a transparent turquoise, his eyes a pale shade of red, and his cloak was more like part of his body now.

Axel and Roxas were far better off. Axel's spiky hair suited nicely as a mane for a werewolf, he thought. Looked as if the pyro was enjoying it too, seeing as he could get away with screaming randomly, as long as he were looking upward. Roxas seemed to be having a good laugh, now part of the Undead. His festering limbs were barely hanging on, and his bloodshot eye twirled crazily in its socket.

"Hey, guys…" Demyx pondered, his eyes wandering round the Hinterlands at the colourful doors that littered the trees, "have you noticed that every world we've looked for information in has more or less followed the same pattern?" Blazing green and aqua blue eyes fixed on him.

"Not really… but that may just be me." Roxas scratched at a piece of flaking skin, slowly peeling it off.

"Actually, Dem has a point, Roxie. It's all been 'get in, get bored, get out'. Most of the people we found have had shit for brains! None of these bitches and bastards has been at all useful…" Axel ruffled his hand through his bushy mane, and let out a tortured howl. Demyx covered his ears to no avail, and shook his head dizzily to clear his thoughts.

"Let's try looking around. This place doesn't look so… retarded." VIII and XIII nodded vigorously in agreement, and followed Water Boy, as was his other affectionate nickname, through the dank streets lit with sickly orange fairy lights. The moon and stars danced majestically above them, watching the three carefully as they made their way through the back alleys.

"Less retarded, you said…" Axel muttered as he looked around. What was usually a desolate graveyard was now littered with trees, glittering with twinkling lights. Many a string of tinsel was hung over the crumbling tombstones, and sickly tunes were weakly trickling out of a beaten up jukebox.

"Hey, how the hell was I supposed to know? We were in a forest! Jeez…" Demyx pouted as a strong gust of wind came past, making his image flicker insanely. The two snapped out of their reverie when their younger companion was heard yelling and screaming. A ghostly handkerchief with a dog's head and a glowing scarlet nose was chasing him around, trying to nip at the exposed bone on Zombie Roxas' leg.

"Get the hell away from me, damn dog!" Axel sniggered, leaving Demyx to go and help his friend. He glanced around quickly, before picking up a discarded twig.

"Uhh… here boy! See the stick?" He waved the twig in front of the dog's face temptingly, gaining its complete attention. "Fetch!" With that, he lobbed the stick as far as he could throw. The handkerchief-dog thing chased after it, leaving Zombie Boy out of breath, but relieved.

"So… where're we heading?"

"Well…" Axel began, "Instead of talking, I thought we'd snoop around, possibly stealing a mad scientist's notebook. Y'know… like Mission Impossible!" Demyx gave him a strange look.

"Dude, that never happened in Mission Impossible."

"It didn't? What was I watching, then?"

"Wasn't it the Care Bears Movie?" Roxas inquired.

"… You said you'd never speak of that again." Roxas smirked, laughing sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Now then, shall we go?"

"Yes, let's." Demyx floated off, Axel prowling on all fours by his side, Roxas hopping after them – his left leg having fallen off.

"Doo, doo, doo doo, doo, doo, doo doo…" Axel hummed as they scaled the side of the tower. Being the tallest building in the town square, they thought it would be the sure place that would contain the town's most important information.

"Axel, stop singing Mission Impossible for TWO SECONDS, will you?!" Roxas growled at his friend. His hand had fallen off on the first few metres, so XIII was being forced to climb single handed, which didn't improve his mood. Demyx had it easy; he was already sitting on the window ledge, his ethereal legs flicking lazily.

"C'mon, guys. It's not that hard…"

"Easy for you to say," Roxas hissed.

"Uh, guys?" Axel muttered, his voice wavering with uncertainty, "I think we have company." Demyx looked down at the Neoshadows starting to appear at the foot of the tower. One looked up at him, fixing his gaze. If possible, he paled…

… And started bawling like a baby. Roxas winced, and Axel howled to drown out the noise. Clambering up the tower with surprising speed, the werewolf grabbed his undead friend and, somehow catching the shrieking ghost, dived into the tower window.

Demyx backed up against the wall, muttering to himself. "It… it was that one…"

"Demyx!" Axel roared. "Shut up for a minute and tell me what's wrong!!"

"It was that one…" Demyx muttered, "that Heartless was the one that took my Heart!" Roxas and Axel took a quick step back in shock.

"You… you sure?" Roxas inquired. "Absolutely sure?" Demyx nodded faintly, obviously completely terrified.

"We'll be out of here soon, Demyx. Just hold on…" VIII and XIII started scampering round the laboratory, searching for the doctor's notebook, while Demyx hugged his knees, trying to reassure himself to no avail.

"Found it!" Axel yelled, and lifted up a large, A3 notebook. There were various bits of paper stuffed into it, some of which were blueprints. "Come on…"

"Xemnas said our next assignment was the Pride Lands… we'll sort it out there, okay, Dem?" Demyx nodded at Roxas, and pushed himself up silently. He was trembling madly, and Axel had to support him to prevent him from falling. Roxas opened a portal, and made to lead his friends through.

"Wait…" Demyx cautioned quietly, his voice straining with effort. Axel and Roxas stared at him curiously, as the ghost version of their friend floated over to Finklestein's workbench, on which a half finished experiment lay. IX forced the arms off the metal monstrosity, and dislodged the chest. "I think Xemnas might find this interesting…" That having been said, Demyx portalled out.

Axel and Roxas shared confused looks. How had their friend switched from the mentality to a four year old scared by Barney the Dinosaur to that of a mature adult so quickly? Shaking their heads in disbelief, they trawled through Roxas' portal, their heads feeling blurry at the peculiar nature of their friend.

* * *

Lordie, this took SO LONG... that's what I get for not having an update schedule.

I don't know why, but it feels like the quality of this is slipping... what do you guys think?

Hope you enjoyed, and that you'll keep reading. Read & Review, plezzums.

**Axira**


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